Christmas Waltz
by sykilik101
Summary: It's Christmas time, and Ash is having a party. While Ash is dancing with Misty, he upsets her. How does he make it up to her? OneShot AAML


**I know, I said I would submit this in the _middle_ of December, but I just couldn't wait! I've always liked Christmas, and it's pretty much that time, and I haven't done a Christmas story yet, so I say to myself, "A Christmas story, it is!" Enjoy, or you'll get no eggnog or Christmas cookies!**

**Note:** I went and updated the story. After seeing all of the errors (and getting proofreader help), I fixed the story up, changed a few things, and viola!

**Disclaimer: **Once again, my attempts at buying Pokémon from Nintendo have failed. So, I _still_ don't own it. Nor do I own "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" by Elvis Presley.

**Dedication:** This story is dedicated to the authoress LifeSpiralz. May she find peace in Heaven.

**Ages:**

Ash: 16

Misty: 16 (and a half)

Brock: 18

Gary: 16

Delia: 42

Christmas Waltz

**xxxxx**

December 24, 2005 – 6:30 P.M.

**xxxxx**

Ash sprinted home, crushing small bits of snow underneath his feet. The snow began to fall lightly from the dark starry night as he tore down the path, stopping only for a second to catch his breath. His mom had called him and said she needed him to do something important. He had been at the Pokémart with Brock and Misty when she called, so he left them to get home. His breath returned, he continued his way to his house.

Upon arriving, he gazed amazingly at how it looked. It was like his mom had taken the Christmas spirit and crammed it into her house. The fence had many Christmas lights wrapped around the poles. There were also lights covering the entire house. On the roof was a very detailed colored sculpture of Santa in his sleigh, pulled by 9 Stantler, the front one having a red nose. She had also put small angle statues around the yard.

Walking up to the front door, he admired the wreath his mom had placed. His mom had always hated buying those fake ones, so she would always make her own. The leaves seemed to be healthy, in spite of the cold. Small red berries were tied all around it, and an angel was in the center.

He opened the door, went inside, and immediately closed it. He didn't want to let in the cold air. He eyed the way the house looked. The tree was in the corner, a few decorations placed here and there on it. The smell of Christmas cookies was floating around, making Ash's mouth water. The couch had been placed to the side of the house, and a stereo had been set up on a table placed next to the couch. A long table was next to the stairs, a sheet on top, but nothing on it. The fireplace, which was in the wall next to the stairs, was quiet.

"Mom, I'm here." Ash announced. Delia came down from the stairs, looking pretty tired out.

"Oh, good. I need you to wear this to greet the guests for our Christmas party." She said, gesturing to the item in her hand.

Ash face faulted. "Mom, it's embarrassing." He whined.

"I think it's adorable." Delia commented.

"Yeah, if I was a little kid." Ash muttered.

"Just give it a chance, honey. For me?" She pleaded, getting all big eyed.

Ash groaned. He knew he couldn't say no to his mom, no matter how hard he tried. Ever since he was little, she always seemed to get her way in the end.

"Alright." He groaned. "But everyone's gonna laugh at me."

"Of course they won't. Now hurry up." She instructed, pointing to the top of the stairs.Groaning inwardly, Ash made his way to his room, costume in hand.

**xxxxx**

_5 minutes later…_

**xxxxx**

"Ash, are you done? Your friends are here." Delia called.

"Yeah, almost. I just can't get this belt on." He replied back.

"Brock, could you go help him?" Delia asked.

"Sure, no problem." He said, walking up to Ash's room. Misty heard him burst into laughter when he reached the top.

"That look suits you, Ash." Brock snickered.

"Pika Pika." Pikachu added, nodding his head.

"No one asked for your opinion, Pikachu." Ash grumbled, wrestling with the belt. "Mom, the belt's too small!"

"Are you sure you're putting in on right?" Delia asked from the kitchen.

Ash blinked. "There's a wrong way to put a belt on?"

"Pikachu." Pikachu replied, stepping out of the room, back down into the kitchen.

"That's it." Ash said, walking out of the room and down to the living room.

Misty had to fight back a laugh after seeing his costume. He was wearing a white shirt, with a green vest on top, as well as green tights. He had long brown shoes that curled at the tip. A green hat topped it off. A Christmas elf.

"I told you they'd laugh." Ash complained, designating Misty.

"She's not laughing at you, are you, Misty?" Delia asked her.

"No, of course not, Mrs. Ketchum." Misty forced out, some of her giggles letting through.

"Mom, I can't put this thing on." Ash informed her, walking back into the living room. Misty watched him fight with it for a few minutes, then sighed.

"Ash, you're hopeless. Let me see it." She walked over to Ash and, taking the belt from him, walked behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and started to put it on. Ash started to blush slightly, but, being too concerned with his blush, didn't notice the one that had crept up Misty's face.

"You slide it through, then push this, then pull." She said, pulling the end of the belt through the belt loop. It tightened securely around his waist.

"Um…thanks, Misty." Ash mumbled.

"No problem." She replied, her face matching his. Then, an uncomfortable silence. Brock, noticing the tension, decided to help.

"Why don't we go see if the cookies are done?" He suggested.

"Alright, cookies!" Ash exclaimed, running into the kitchen. A relieved Misty, and a chuckling Brock, followed.

**xxxxx**

December 24, 2005 – 7:45

**xxxxx**

Ash let out a sigh of relief. After spending over an hour greeting guests at the front door, his mom had allowed him to change. He was wearing jeans, as well as his regular shoes. He was also wearing a red sweater with the words "Merry X-mas", and had small Christmas symbols all over it, like reindeer and Christmas trees. It was finished with a red Santa hat.

Ash made his way downstairs, and beamed at the way the house was decorated. They had finished decorating the house long before the guests had started to arrive. The fireplace was crackling merrily, shadows of the guests flickering along the walls. Everyone was dressed in all kinds of costumes, from clowns to Christmas clothing to just plain wearing dresses. Several people were dancing to the music that was playing in the air, while others were getting plates for the buffet table, loaded with enough food to feed all of Pallet. Several bunches of mistletoe were lined up around the ceiling. Streamers were hung across the house, along with several colored lights. The Christmas tree stood in the corner, tall and majestic. Several decorations were lining the leaves of the tree. Bits of snow had also been placed on the tree, adding a twinkling effect to it. There was a huge chair placed next to the chimney.

Ash looked around, but couldn't find Brock or Misty. After a minute of searching, he decided to ask his mom. He found her in the kitchen, popping a turkey into the oven.

"Mom, do you know where Brock and Misty are?" He asked.

"Misty went to change, and Brock said something about a mistletoe." She replied.

"New year, same old Brock." Ash chuckled, beginning his search for his two friends. For a small house, he couldn't figure out how so many people fit into it, or how he couldn't find them. He had looked in all the rooms, but he hadn't found Brock. Standing at the base of the stairs, he shook his head. _"If Brock was trying to get under a mistletoe, he'd probably still be in the house."_

"Ash?"

Ash heard a voice, but he didn't know where it came from. He looked to the left, then to the right, but no one was looking at him. He looked up the stairs, and his jaw dropped. Misty was standing at the top, with a long white silk dress that shimmered in the light. She also had some green silk cloth wrapped around her waist, with some excess cloth hanging down from the knot. Her hair flowed delicately down her shoulders. She was wearing a chain necklace, with a small piece of mistletoe on it, as well as earrings in the shape of red Christmas tree balls. A pair of pearl white angel wings were fitted on her back. She started to make her way down the stairs.

"Ash?" She asked again.

Ash didn't know what to say; his breath caught in the back of his throat. His eyes were locked with hers, and he was dumbstruck. He felt numb all over; like he had been shocked by Pikachu's Thunder attack, only a hundred times worse. He tried to talk, but no words came out. It dawned on him how he looked, compared to how she had dressed up. She looked…amazing. More than amazing; stunning, gorgeous, beautiful. But he wasn't about to let her know that.

"_I guess all angels do have wings."_ He thought to himself.

"Hello, Earth to Ash." Misty began tapping on his head.

Ash quickly regained his senses. "Oh, sorry Misty."

"What happened? You just sort of spaced out." She told him.

"It's nothing, really." He insisted. Suddenly, he heard the sound of bells ringing, and all of the little kids started screaming excitedly.

"Santa's here! Santa's here!" They all chanted.

Delia walked over to the fireplace and quickly put it out.

Suddenly, soot started to fall lightly from the fire place. A figure appeared, donned in Santa's clothing.

"SANTA!" Every child in the room ran towards him.

"Now, now, children, settle down, you'll all get a gift." He assured them.

Ash chuckled. _"You may be the world's best Pokémon Professor, but you're a bad Santa."_ He thought as he watched "Santa" try to break free of the crowd of overexcited kids. Eventually, he managed to escape, and sat down on the chair next to the Christmas tree.

"I'm going to need a helper for this." Santa announced.

"ME! ME! ME!" All of the kids started shrieking and raising their hands. He looked around, deciding on who would best help him pass out gifts. Eventually, he found his helper.

"Misty, why don't you come on over and be Santa's helper?" He smiled.

She blinked. She didn't expect him to pick her. However, she had been picked, so she had no choice but to become Santa's helper.

"Sure." She called, walking over and standing next to him.

"Alright, let's start." He announced, motioning for Misty to reach for a present. She picked one up, handed it to him, and he called out the name.

"Tommy!"

A small boy immediately jumped up. His eyes sparkling, he ran over to Santa and hopped onto his knee, releasing a huff from old St. Nick.

"Well, Tommy, what would you like for Christmas?" Santa asked.

"A race car!" He exclaimed.

"Well, if you're a good little boy, I'll make sure you get one." He said smiling. He handed Tommy his present, and the little boy jumped off and ran to open his present.

Misty smiled, but remembered that she was Santa's helper. She reached under the tree and pulled out another present.

"Sally!" She called out, handing Santa the gift.

A little girl stood up and made her way to Santa, though not as enthusiastically as the boy before her.

"What would you like for Christmas, Sally?" Santa asked. The girl was silent.

"What's wrong, Sally?" Santa asked.

"I want a Pokémon for Christmas." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he caught it all.

"A Pokémon?" Santa asked, interested.

"All of my friends have one, but I don't." She explained.

"Well, let me see what I have…" He began searching through his bag. After a minute of searching, he pulled out a small yellow egg, with black stripes across it.

"This, my dear, is for you." He handed her the egg, and she beamed as brightly as the Christmas tree. "Now, you must promise me that you'll take good care of it."

"I will, Santa, I promise!" She exclaimed, giving him a hug before running off to her parents.

For the next 10 minutes, Santa gave out gifts to all the little kids. They were all happy to receive their gifts, but none more so than Brock. He had been overjoyed when he received his present, a book entitled "A Guy's Guide to Girls". He had long since gone upstairs, and had yet to return.

Now there were only two gifts left. Misty reached for one and handed it to Santa. He was surprised at who it belonged to, but none the same, he called out.

"Pikachu!"

Pikachu's ears perked up, and he ran over to Santa, happily hopping onto his lap.

"Well, what would you like for Christmas, Pikachu?" Santa asked.

"Pikachu!" He cheered, thrusting the peace sign into the air. Problem was, Ash was the only one who could understand what he was saying. A stupefied Santa stared at him, then at Ash, wondering what he had said.

"He says ketchup." Ash translated.

"I'll make sure you get a really big bottle." He promised.

"Pika!" He exclaimed happily and, taking his present, ran over to Ash. He opened it, and immediately opened the bottle and began slurping.

"Pikachu Pika, Pi." Pikachu told him.

"Don't tell that to the kids. They really believe he's Santa." Ash hushed him, amused at how excited the kids were. Their eyes sparkled with excitement, but who could blame them? This was someone who could travel the world in one night. Someone who could make gifts magically appear in his bag. Even Ash had believed in him.

Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder and watched Misty reach for the last gift. When she read who it was for and from, Ash noticed that she was a bit hesitant. Her hands were trembling very slightly as she handed the gift to Santa. He read it, and smirked.

"Ash!" He called out.

He blinked. "Me?"

"Pika Pi." Pikachu told him, patting him on the back.

He smiled, then made his way over to Santa, sitting lightly on his lap.

"So, Ash, what would you like for Christmas?" Santa asked.

Ash became nervous. He knew what he wanted; he'd wanted it more than anything, for a long time now But he couldn't say it in front of all these people, in front of Misty. But Santa had asked. So he whispered into his ear. Misty, curious to know what Ash wanted, listened in. She was surprised when she heard her name. However, she didn't need to listen to see the smirk on Santa's face.

"That's quite a gift you want, Ash." He said, making Ash blush. "However, there's not much I can do. All I can do is wish you good luck."

Ash smiled. "Thanks, Santa."

He returned it, then handed Ash his gift. "Merry Christmas, Ash."

He took the gift at looked at the sticker. It said:

To: Ash

From: Misty

He smiled at his gift. He looked up at Misty to see her looking at him, a smile on her face. However, he could see that her face had small tints of pink on it.

"Merry Christmas, Ash." She said.

He nodded, then returned to the gift. Opening it, his attention was focused on the leather-bound book in his hands. Light brown in color, and fairly thick, the word "Memories" was embroiled, centered, at the top in silver dainty handwriting. He traced his finger over the letters, an indescribable fascination overcoming him. In the front, below the word, a picture of him, Misty, and Pikachu made itself known to those who lay their eyes upon it. In the background, a lush green field was flowing with the wind. Ash and Misty were sitting next to each other against a tall oak tree. Ash was sitting to the left of Misty, his eyes closed and beaming a toothy smile, his right arm supporting his body, winking and showing the peace sign with his left hand. Misty had her arms wrapped around his neck, also smiling, her legs horizontal to the ground. Their faces were touching at their cheeks, with Pikachu standing on top of them, one foot on each of their heads, mimicking Ash's smile and peace sign. To perfect the photo, the sun was starting to set, splashing colors of orange, pink, yellow, and all other sorts of colors onto the sky, painting them in the beautiful colors of the sunset.

Concentrating purely on the item in his hands, he didn't notice that Santa was talking to him.

"Ash?" He asked, trying to tell him to get off. He didn't respond, hypnotized by the book.

"Ash?" He tried again. Still, his efforts failed.

"Ash!" He exclaimed, snapping Ash out of his trance.

"What?" Ash asked, confused.

"I'm glad you like your gift, but could you please get off me?" He asked.

"Oh, sorry Santa." He smiled sheepishly, standing up. Santa followed suit, picking up his bag and walking towards the chimney, but not without saying good-bye and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

He stepped under the chimney, and with one last wave, flew up. All of the children rushed over to see where he had gone. Even Ash was surprised. How had he been able to go up the chimney like that? He decided to just wonder instead of knowing. However, that didn't mean he couldn't say hi to Santa.

Passing through the crowd of guests, he stepped outside and looked up. Santa was carefully scooting towards the edge of the house, where a wooden ladder was propped against the side. Reaching it, he began his descent. Ash walked to the base of the ladder.

"I didn't know Santa needed ladders." Ash called.

"Whoa-whaaaaa! Oof!" Ash immediately found himself on the ground, Santa on top of him.

"Ow…" Ash groaned.

"Sorry about that." Santa apologized.

"My head…" Ash moaned again, rubbing his head. He felt his cheek sting at the touch. Bruise, he assumed.

"Oh, hello again, Ash." Santa greeted, patting the snow off himself.

"Hey, Santa." Ash replied. He suddenly took notice of his face, and grinned. "Y'know, you're beard's falling off."

"Uh?" He placed his hand on his chin. Sure enough, part of his lower facial hair was hanging off. He quickly straightened it, and placed his hand behind his head, chuckling.

"Well, looks like the Meowth's out of the bag." He said sheepishly.

"Don't worry, Professor. I won't tell anyone." Ash promised.

"Thank you, Ash. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a party to get ready for." And with that, he tore down the path leading to his lab. Ash looked on awkwardly, but shrugged. He simply walked back inside.

Making his way to the kitchen, he turned his gaze to the book. Something about it kept on turning his attention to it. So absorbed by it, he didn't hear his mom's call to watch where he was going, nor did he notice the figure in front of him until he bumped into them.

"Oh, sorry." He said. He then recognized the person's red hair.

"Hey, Misty." She turned to see Ash smiling at her.

"Oh, hey Ash." She replied. She then noticed the book in his hand. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's great!" His grin got bigger, looking back at it.

"Say, Ash, what happened?" Misty asked, pointing at the small bruise on his cheek.

"Oh, this. Well, me and Santa had a close encounter, of sorts." He replied.

Misty was about to question what he meant, when a song began to play.

"Hey, Ash. Do you…want to dance with me?" Misty asked nervously.

"Sure." He replied, taking her hand and leading her to the living room. He placed his hands on the sides of her waist, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they began dancing to the song.

_Wise men say_

_Only fools rush in_

_But I can't help _

_Falling in love with you_

_Shall I stay_

_Would it be a sin_

_If I can't help_

_Falling in love with you_

Ash, not completely aware of what he was doing, being so content, pulled Misty closer. She stiffened at their closeness, but soon relaxed, closing her eyes and settling her head in his chest.

_Like a river flows_

_Surely to the sea_

_Darling, so it goes_

_Some things are meant to be_

_Take my hand_

_Take my whole life, too_

_For I can't help_

_Falling in love with you_

Brock, having finished his book, returned downstairs. He looked around, trying to find Ash and Misty. He was slightly surprised to see them dancing close together, their eyes closed with blissful smiles on their faces. Grinning, he went to find Delia.

He pushed through the crowd, trying to find Ash's mom. Eventually, he found her in the kitchen, icing a cake.

"Mrs. Ketchum." He called to her. Looking in his direction, she stuck the butter knife into the icing and walked over to him.

"What is it, Brock?" She asked.

"Follow me." He said, leading her to where he had been before. Upon reaching the spot, he pointed them out to her. She smiled brightly.

"Don't they look so cute together?" She said gleefully.

"Yeah, they sure do." Brock agreed. He looked above their heads, and his grin grew even bigger. Nudging Delia, he pointed it out to her. She grinned.

"Do you think they'll notice?" She wondered.

"Who knows, let's see." She said, and together they watched the scene play before them.

_Like a river flows_

_Surely to the sea_

_Darling, so it goes_

_Some things are meant to be_

_Take my hand_

_Take my whole life, too_

_For I can't help_

_Falling in love with you_

_For I can't help_

_Falling in love with you_

As the sound of the song faded away, they remained in their position, not wanting it to end. What they failed to notice is that everyone had already stopped, and was now focusing on them. They didn't care; they were perfectly happy where they were. They were together, and that was enough to make them happy.

Misty opened her eyes, and looked up to see Ash's chocolate eyes shining down upon hers. She smiled warmly, and he returned it.

"Thanks for dancing with me, Ash." She whispered.

"Sure, no problem." He replied, not moving away.

She smiled again, then looked up and saw something hanging. She started to blush furiously.

"Ash?" She more said than asked, not averting her gaze.

"Hm?" He replied. He looked up to see what she was staring at.

Mistletoe.

His cheeks instantly reddened. He looked back at Misty to see that her Cerulean eyes were aimed at his own. A heavy blush was showing on her cheeks.

"Ash, we're…under the mistletoe." She informed him, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ash knew what this meant. He swallowed hard, his face getting even redder. Misty's face was just as red. However, slowly, she started to move her head towards his. He hadn't planned for this to happen, nor did he expect this. So, he did the only thing that seemed the most sensible at the time.

He panicked.

"Um…I have to go to the bathroom!" He exclaimed quickly, releasing his grip on her and running towards the stairs. "Sorry Misty."

He made his way to his room, closed it, locked it, and slid down, sighing. _"That was close."_ He thought.

Carefully, he opened the door and peeked downstairs.

Misty was still standing there, her arms to her side, her head hanging low. He looked on as she raised her head slightly. A look of pure sadness and rejection was set on her face. His guilt rose even more as he watched her eyes water up, and a single tear rolled down her face. Hanging her head low again, she started to move her way up the stairs.

Seeing her coming, he quickly, but quietly, closed his door. He heard her footsteps as she walked into another room, and the sound of a door closing was heard.

He waited for a few seconds, then opened his door again. She had walked into the guest room. Stepping out, he walked towards the door, and was reaching for doorknob when he heard a sound. Putting his ear to the door, he listened closely.

At first, the sound was inaudible, like it was muffled. He listened harder, and could hear what it was. Sobbing.

She was crying. She was crying because of him. He felt horrible. He didn't think that he hurt her that much. In fact, this was the first time in a long time that he'd heard her cry. He grabbed the doorknob to apologize, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Let her be alone for a while." The person said.

"But I really hurt her. I have to apologize." Ash argued.

"That's true, but I think it'd be best if you let her be alone for a while. If you hurt her as badly as you say you did, then she'll need some time to recover." He replied back.

Ash sighed, then let go of the doorknob. "I guess so. Alright, then. Thanks, Gary."

"No sweat. Now let's go get something to eat." Gary suggested, starting down the stairs.

"No thanks. I'm just going to go to my room for a while." Ash said.

"Are you sure? Your mom made a whole buffet." He said, trying to convince him.

"I'm okay. I'll see you later, Gary." He said, making his way towards his room.

"Eh, suit yourself." Gary shrugged, walking back down to the kitchen.

After closing the door, he kicked off his shoes, grabbed his book, and jumped onto his bed. He continued to look at the cover for a while, until he decided to see what other pictures Misty had put in.

The first picture brought a smile to his face. Ash and Co. had gone to the Cerulean Gym for Misty's 14th birthday. Streamers, balloons, and lights were everywhere. Glass had been used to cover the dance floor. Brock had convinced Ash to dance with Misty, since she had wanted that. Ash had his arms wrapped around her waist, and Misty had her hands and head placed on his chest. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling dreamily. Ash, on the other hand, looked extremely embarrassed.

Ash closed his eyes, and sighed blissfully at the memory. At the time, his feelings for her weren't clear. As he looked back on it now, however, he realized how much he loved the moment.

He turned the page, and was surprised at what he saw. It was nighttime, and there was a lake shining beautifully in the moonlight. He and Misty were sitting on a log in front of the lake. Ash was wearing a black shirt with jeans. Misty, however, was in light blue pajamas, with different kinds of water Pokémon on it. Her hair was also hanging down from its normally pulled up state. They were hugging each other, apparently oblivious to the fact that a picture had been taken.

Ash remembered that night. That was the night that he had found out he loved Misty. He had also found out that she loved him. But how was this taken? The only other person who was there at the time was…he made a mental note to ask that person about the picture.

He flipped the page, but this picture wasn't as happy as the other two. The sun was setting over the mountains near Pallet Town. He, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu were all posing for the picture. Ash was sitting Indian-style on the dirt path, grinning, and holding Pikachu on his lap, who was smiling happily and showing the peace sign. Misty was down on both knees behind Ash, her arms over his shoulders. Brock was standing in the back, flexing his arms.

This was the day that Misty and Brock had to leave him. It had been a bad day for Ash. He looked at the picture again, and noticed something that brought a small smile to his face.

In the picture, Misty had leaned her head over Ash's right shoulder, so their faces were almost touching. Her face was looking forward, but her eyes were on Ash. She wore a warm smile. Ash also had his eyes on Misty, flashing her a warm smile as well.

He admired the picture, a smile plastered on his face. It had really been a bad day, but he knew that those memories wouldn't die. He would treasure every moment he shared with his friends.No matter how bad or good the memories were, he would remember them for the rest of his life.

Satisfied, he continued on to the other pictures.

As he looked through each of the pictures, Ash realized something, something that should have been obvious to him. Misty had always been there for him. Always cheering him on, helping him, fighting for him, caring for him, teaching him; she was the best friend a guy could have, and he had hurt her. He was going to make up to her, no matter what.

But how? He thought about how until the early hours of the morning. Even as the hours passed, he could think of nothing but finding a way for Misty to forgive him. Frustrated, he frantically scratched his hair, then slid his palms over his eyes.

Then, suddenly, an idea clicked in his head. He grinned as he thought through all the steps. It was perfect; well, perfect enough for Misty to forgive him. Reaching under his bed, he pulled out a small box. He opened it, and grinned. He put the top back on and, placing it on his bed, slowly crept out of his room. He returned a few minutes later, gift wrapping supplies in hand.

Another minute later, Ash admired his handiwork.

"I hope this works." He prayed, placing it on his drawer before falling asleep, a smile on his lips.

**xxxxx**

December 25, 2005 – 7:30

**xxxxx**

"Pika Pi!"

Ash groaned, and turned away.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed, annoyed, jumping to the side that Ash was facing.

He turned again to his other side. "5 more minutes…" He said groggily.

"Pikachu!" He cried.

When he didn't get up, Pikachu sighed. A few seconds later…

_ZAP!_

"Alright, I'm up." He growled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Pika." He said, running out of the room, with Ash behind him. He made his way down the stairs to see Delia, Brock, and Misty near the tree.

"It's about time you woke up, and you do realize that you slept in your party clothes, right?" Brock asked.

"Thanks to Pikachu, and I know." Ash managed to say before letting out a yawn. His expression changed from tired to excited. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's open presents!"

And it began. Christmas wrapping, ribbons, and more Christmas wrapping was thrown everywhere.

Ash received a sweater from his mom, red in color, with a black horizontal stripe across the center, with the words "Pokémon Master" on it. Brock gave him a handmade cookbook with all of his recipes (even the ones he had always kept secret), and Pikachu had given him a new shirt. It had Ash and Pikachu smiling on the front, with Pikachu on Ash's shoulder (if you've seen Pokémon: Heroes, the picture Ash gets at the end, that one).

One present was left under the Christmas tree. Ash took it and handed it to who belonged to.

To: Pikachu

From: Santa

"Pika!" Pikachu gave him a thumbs up, before beginning his assault on the Christmas wrapping. It was fairly big, but Pikachu undid it in no time. A cardboard box was all that stood between him and his present.

Opening it, all but Pikachu burst into hysterical laughter, while Pikachu smiled with glee. Inside were five 64oz. bottles of ketchup, as well as a DVD that said, "25 Ways to Enjoy Ketchup".

After the laughter died down, Ash decided to give Misty his gift.

"I'll be right back, guys." Ash said, running up the stairs. He was up there for a minute, before they heard him say, "Misty, can you come up here for a second?"

Unsure of what he wanted, Misty made her way to his room. Once she arrived, she saw him sitting on his bed.

"What did you want, Ash?" She asked. He patted the spot on the bed next to him, motioning for her to sit down. She did so, even more confused.

"I wanted to apologize for last night. I didn't mean to run away to run. I just sort of panicked." He said, looking her in the eyes.

"It's okay, Ash." She said reassuringly.

"Well, I'm sorry, and…this is for you." He said, handing her a small present. She accepted it, and Ash looked slightly away.

"Thanks, Ash." She happily smiled.

"It's just something small, not much." He said, embarrassed, not at what she had said, but what he was about to do.

Misty's smile grew as she undid the wrapping. It was a small box. She shook it, but didn't hear anything. _"Wonder what it could be."_ She thought. She opened it, but what she saw surprised her. Or rather, what she didn't see.

"Ash, this box is empty. Is this some kind of-"

She was cut off by Ash, who pulled her into a hug and planted a tender kiss on her lips.

To say Misty was surprised would be the understatement of the universe. She never expected Ash to do that. However, she immediately had an idea. Instead of kissing him back, she pulled away.

"Your present is nice, but it doesn't mean I can forgive you just like that." She stated. Ash's heart sank. _"She still doesn't forgive me?"_

She looked him up and down, then stood up and walked towards the door. Before leaving she turned around and said, "Put your shoes on and go into the living room." Then, she left, leaving behind a confused Ash.

Misty went to the living room. After talking to the other three, she made her way back to the guest room she had stayed in the night before.

He sat there, horrified. _"I guess I expected too much."_ He thought sadly. Slowly, he put his shoes on and dejectedly walked to the living room. He noticed that his mom, Brock, and Pikachu weren't in there. Not thinking much of it, he sat on the couch and sighed. He didn't know what Misty was up to.

A minute passed, and he heard guest door open again. Ash looked up to see Misty at the top of the stairs, and he was surprised. She was wearing exactly what she was wearing last night; the dress, the earrings, the wings, her hair down. Slowly, she walked down the steps, and made her way to Ash.

Standing before him, she stared down at him, with a face Ash couldn't read. After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke up.

"I'll forgive you, Ash, but only if you do something." She said.

Ash was confused, when suddenly a familiar song filled the air.

"Ash, do you…want to dance with me?" She asked, purposely adding a hint of nervousness.

Ash was even more confused than before. What in the name of Pikachu was going on? Suddenly, he caught on to what she was doing, and he grinned as he knew how he was going to make up to her.

"Sure." He agreed, taking her hand and pulling her to the center of the living room. He put his arms around her waist, she put her arms around his neck, and they replayed the night before.

_Wise men say_

_Only fools rush in_

_But I can't help _

_Falling in love with you_

_Shall I stay_

_Would it be a sin_

_If I can't help_

_Falling in love with you_

Remembering all he had done, he pulled her close, and, on purpose, she made her body stiffen, and then relaxed. Placing her head on his chest and closing her eyes, they continued.

_Like a river flows_

_Surely to the sea_

_Darling, so it goes_

_Some things are meant to be_

_Take my hand_

_Take my whole life, too_

_For I can't help_

_Falling in love with you_

_Like a river flows_

_Surely to the sea_

_Darling, so it goes_

_Some things are meant to be_

_Take my hand_

_Take my whole life, too_

_For I can't help_

_Falling in love with you_

_For I can't help_

_Falling in love with you_

Misty opened her eyes, and looked up at him. She smiled, and he mimicked it.

"Thanks for dancing with me, Ash." She said quietly.

"Sure, no problem." He replied, keeping his arms around her waist.

She smiled, then looked up. She didn't need help to blush, since she was embarrassed enough about what they were about to do.

"Ash?" She repeated the words of the previous night.

"Hm?" He asked. He looked up, but this time, he was happy with what he saw.

Mistletoe.

He looked back down at her.

"Ash, we're under the mistletoe." Misty commented.

He smiled warmly, his face slightly pink. Slowly, their faces began to approach each other, until the space no longer existed between them. To his delight, he could feel her kiss him back. They stayed like that for a while, until they slowly parted. They smiled at each other, their hearts beating rapidly as one.

"I love you, Mist." Ash whispered.

"I love you too, Ash." Misty replied, before leaning up to kiss Ash again.

"_I could get used to this."_ Misty thought, relishing in the feel of his lips that she had developed a taste for. Unbeknownst to them, the other three stood at the top of the chair, admiring the scene.

"Pikachu." Pikachu smiled.

"I knew this would happen eventually." Brock said.

"Was it obvious?" Delia asked.

"Really." Brock replied.

"We can hear what you're saying." Ash commented, parting from Misty, but still looking in her eyes.

"Oh, sorry, we'll leave you two alone." Brock assured, and they walked down the stairs and through the front door.

"We're just going to go visit Prof. Oak." Delia informed them, before heading to the good professor's house.

"Alright." They called. After they were gone, Misty turned her gaze back to the chocolate eyes she had fallen in love with.

"So, where were we?" Misty asked, playing with his Ash's hair.

"Let's see…I think we were doing this." He said, pulling her close and placing a passionate kiss on her lips, falling into bliss as they lovingly embraced each other under the glow of the Christmas tree. They parted a few seconds later, and Misty beamed at him. He replicated it. Under the lights of the tree and the other decorations, she looked like a goddess.

"_You're happy, Misty. That's Christmas to me."_

**xxxxx**

Y'know, sometimes I wonder how I can be a guy, but still be so sappy. It's just not normal, for Christ's sakes! Also, if you're wondering how Santa went up the chimney, a small rope was in the chimney. He grabbed it, and two Machoke pulled him up. Well, anyways, see that button down there, on the left? Yeah, that one. Press it, and a magical thing will appear. Write good things in there, and Santa will bring you whatever you wish for! Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!


End file.
